“Swallowed”• 2025• Lake Urmia, Northwestern Iran

Artemia Swallowed Iran faces a severe water crisis, worsened by its hot climate, low rainfall, and lack of effective drought forecasting. This crisis impacts agriculture, access to clean water, and leads to desertification, micro-dust pollution, rural migration and reduced agricultural output. Lake Urmia, the largest saltwater lake in the Middle East, has suffered extreme depletion due to over-extraction and mismanagement. The Artemia, a pleasure boat stranded in 2012, now lies encased in salt marshes - a stark symbol of Lake Urmia's dire state and the growing water crisis.